The Hikitia was built in 1926 by Fleming and Ferguson of Paisley, Scotland. The crane was built by Sir William Arrol and Co., the engineers who built Tower Bridge in London, and the recently renovated Titan crane in Clydebank (Cranes Today February 2006 p39). The crane was designed to lift 80t at 50ft, but was tested to 125% capacity. On her voyage to New Zealand, she travelled to the Azores, crossed the Atlantic to the Panama Canal, and then across the Pacific to Wellington, a trip of 82 days at 7.5 knots.
She worked for the Wellington Port Company for more than 80 years, before being put up for sale in 1989. She was bought by four local enthusiasts in 1991, who carried out lift tests to 88t, allowing her to work commercially to a maximum capacity of 80t. Under private ownership, she carried out more than 300 lifts, including lifting yachts taking part in the Global Challenge round the world race.
Ownership of the Hikitia was transferred to the Maritime Heritage Trust of Wellington in 2006. The trust is working to renovate the ship to ensure she can continue working commercially. The voyage from Wellington on New Zealand’s North Island to Lyttelton on the South Island allows her to be put into a drydock for repairs to her hull.
Dubbed the ‘Old Girl’ by her crew, the Hikitia performed well under tow, travelling at up to 7.2 knots through 3m swell. The voyage started ominously, when a water-logged electrical connection ‘spectacularly shortcircuited’. With the connection repaired, the voyage itself went well, Maritime Heritage Trust spokesman Malcom McGregor reports.
